Salt dissolving apparatus



Feb. 19; 1946. R KE 2,395,258-

- SALT DISSOLVING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 6; 1942 f-Zc. Z

filtering vesse1 il.

Patented Feb. 19, 1946 John Calvin Drake, New Orleans, La., assignor to 'Myles Salt Company, Limited, New Orleans, La., a corporation of Louisiana "Application Augustfi, 1942, Serial No. 453,868 '3 Claims. (Cl. 23-272) This invention relatesto a salt dissolving apparatus comprising the structures for introducing the salt and water, and for removing and purifying the brine.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a simple and compactapparatus, having itsparts formed of simple component elements and assembled as a strong and rigid whole.

Another feature of the apparatus is the provision of mechanically assembled structures which cant be readily shipped and moved without difflcu y. a

With these and other features as objects in Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus. v

Figure 2 is an upright sectional view oi! the same.

. Figure 3 is a top plan view of the same, with the hopper removed.

In the drawing, the apparatus is illustrated as comprised of a dissolving vessel l anda filtering vessel l i which are mounted at the same level upon a stand comprised of top frame members l2, mounted on legs l3.

The dissolving vessel I 0 is provided nearits top with a perforated wall I5 which extends inwardly and upwardly and joins an upstanding cylindrical wall i6 which likewise has perforations for the portion thereof located below the level of the top of the dissolving vessel ID. The walls I5, i6 form a peripheral trough within the upper portion of the dissolving vessel Ill. 1

A hopper I! having a cylindrical discharge spout l8 at its lower end is mounted on the dissolving vessel by introducing the spout within the wall it.

A pipe connection 20 leads from the bottom of the dissolving vessel in through a T connection 2| to a gate valve 22. From the T connection 2| a lateral supply pipe 23 leads through a valve 24 to a water supply.

The filtering vessel II has a channel provided by welding a metal angle member 28 inside the wall thereof, thus providing an upright passageway within the filtering vessel II and opening thereinto at its lower end, at a point above the bottom wall of the filtering vessel II. This angle member 28 is illustrated as a simple angle iron having legs of equal widths, and it is preferred to extend this member to the level of the top of the A screen 29 is secured within the filtering vessel ii for receiving gravel as'a filtering element.

The vessels i0, H are mechanically joinedtoet'her by welded connections 30, 31, which may be lengths of metal pipe. The upper connection:

30 is located above the level of th'e' plate i5, and the walls of the vessels in, II are cutaway so that a portis thereby provided by which the brine canilow from the trough formed by the walls l5, l6 within the vessel l0 into the passageway provided by the angle member ,28. The lower connection 3| is blind, and the two vessels are shut ofi from one another except for the port in the connection 30.

A discharge pipe 35 leads from the filtering vesse1 II at a level below that of the trough. The bottom wall of the filtering vessel Ii is provided with a simple pipe connection 36 which is normally closed by a cap 31. v

-In service, the device is erected by placing the assembled vessels upon the stand, and mounting the hopper in position. Salt is placed in the hopper, and flows downwardly within the space provided by the inner trough wall It into the dissolving vessel IO. Valve 22 is closed and valve 24 is now opened so that water flows upwardly through the salt and efiects dissolution thereof, and the brine flows oil through the perforations in the plate l5, l6 into the trough and thence through the ports 30 and into the passageway 28. As the two vessels are at the same level, there is no diificulty of overflowing, as the perforations strain off any large particles in the coarse salt which might clog any of the orifices later encountered. The brine fiows downward through the passageway within the angle member 28 to the chamber 40 of the filtering vesse1 II, this chamber being located below the screen 29. The V brine then flows upwardly through the screen and through the filter bed 4i and ultimately flows out through the discharge 35, smaller particles being thus eliminated in the filter clear brine is delivered.

During the course of operation, heavy impuribed so that a ties of the salt remain within therdissolving vessel i0 and accumulate on the bottom thereof, and any heavy impurities carried over through the port in the connection 30 likewise accumulate in the bottom of the filter vessel II. From time to time, the supply of salt is terminated, and when dissolution has been accomplished, the li uid is withdrawn, after closing the water supply valve 24. The residue of liquid and aforesaid settlings can then be discharged from the vessels by opening the gate valve 22 and removing the pipe cap 31 and flushing the vessels with water to remove the deposits. At this time, also, the gravel filter may be exchanged, or may be cleansed by agitation and a downward flow of water therethrough.

After cleaning the system, the-pipe cap 31 and the gate valve 22 are closed, and thereupon'further quantities of salt may be dissolved as described above.

It is obvious that the invention is not limited solely to the illustrative form of construction shown, but may be practiced in many ways within thescope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A salt dissolving apparatus comprising a dissolving vessel provided with an inner peripheral trough at its upper end, said trough having, an inner perforated wall, said perforated wall forming an opening in the upper portion of said dissolving vessel, an inlet to the bottom portionof said vessel, a filtering vessel located at the level of and adjacent the dissolving vessel, a conduit member forming a vertical passageway within said filtering vessel, a discharge conduit leading from said trough into said passageway at a high level thereof, said passageway havingan' opening into the filtering vessel at a low levelthe'reoi, a filter means positioned in'the filtering vessel above said low level opening from said passageway, and a discharge means from the filtering vessel above the level oithe filter means and below the top of the trough.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 which includesa hopper supported by the dissolving vessel the delivery endof said hopper being in direct communication with the opening formed by the inner perforated wall of the trough in the upper portion of aid dissolving vessel.

3. A salt dissolving apparatus comprising a dissolving vessel provided with an inner peripheral trough at its upper end, said trough having an inner perforated wall, a hopper supported by the dissolving vessel, the delivery end of said hopper extending into the dissolving vessel within the inner peripheral Wall of the trough, an inlet to the bottom portion of said dissolving vessel, a filtering vessel located at the level of and adjacent the dissolving vessel, an angle member sealed to the wall of the filtering vessel so as to provide a vertical passageway, a discharge conduit leading from said trough into said pawageway at a high level thereof, said passagewa having' an opening into the filtering vessel 8A ,ow level thereof, a filter means positioned in the filtering vessel above said low level opening from said passageway and discharge means from the filtering vessel above the level of the filter means and below the-top of the trough.

JOHN CALVIN DRAKE. 

